by K. G. Reuss
“Why do you want to help me?”
“Why would you think that I wouldn’t?”
“Uh, I’d think the answer to that is pretty obvious.” We stopped outside my classroom.
“You’re a funny girl. We’ll work on it tonight, OK?”
“I’m busy—”
“The only answer you have for me is yes, baby girl. You know that.” He tweaked my nose, winking at me.
I scowled. “Of course, your highness.”
He grinned. “I like your spunk, Rosalie. I’ll see you after class.”
And with that, he left me standing there, shaking my head. These guys were just plain confusing. They were all mean and bullies. But sometimes they did something that wasn’t solely for their pleasure or to torture me. Something nice and considerate. Something for me. And it only made things worse when they slipped back to their group dynamic of being horrible to me.
“Ian said he was helping his dad clean out the attic, and the ladder came down from the ceiling and hit him in the face. Can you believe that?” Jamie stared at me with wide eyes as she tore her chocolate cupcake in half at lunch.
“No.” I shook my head, knowing damn well it’s wasn’t an attic-related incident. If there was a ladder involved, it was probably handled by Fox and the guys as a weapon.
“I mean, that has to have sucked. He missed school because he said it was so bad his eye was swollen shut.”
“That does suck,” I murmured. I glanced around, wondering where Ian was. I spotted him sitting with some of his friends from the paper, his head down. He’d certainly lost his bit of swagger over the last week. Something about that gave me a sick sense of satisfaction. He’d been a real dick.
“Sunshine, where’s your lunch?” Enzo flopped down in the seat next to me and brushed the stray hair which had escaped my ponytail away from my face.
“I don’t know. I didn’t get one.”
Jamie frowned at us, no doubt confused about why it was Enzo up my ass and not Cole since everyone was talking about our recent hanging out. She’d been questioning me lately about what was going on, but I’d become an expert at smiling and dodging her questions.
I peeked over my shoulder at the crew table and saw the rest of the guys in their usual spots. They were bent over a notebook, Fox scowling and Cole smirking at him. Cole marked something in the book and closed it. Ethan met my gaze and gave me a smile before getting to his feet. Enzo noticed and grinned at me.
“Looks like we’re getting company.”
A moment later, Ethan slid into the seat on my other side. Jamie opened her mouth, her gaze volleying between the three of us. She swallowed down her bite of cupcake.
“Jamie, this is Ethan,” I said awkwardly, nodding to Ethan.
Ethan grinned his boyish grin at her. “Hey. I heard you’re on the yearbook committee. Any chance of getting a picture of us and putting it in the student life section?”
“Uh, yeah. Yeah. Sure.” Jamie rooted around in her bag for a moment before unearthing her camera. She uncapped the lens and gestured for us to get closer for the photo.
The guys slid closer, Enzo wrapping his arm around my waist and Ethan resting his hand on mine.
“On the count of three,” Jamie called out. “One. Two. Three!”
On three, both guys leaned in and planted a kiss on my cheeks. I scrunched my face up at the move, my heart racing. The flash went off, and the photo was captured.
“I’m going to want a copy of that.” Ethan nodded to Jamie’s camera. “I’ll pay you for it.”
“Same,” Enzo echoed, nabbing a fry off Jamie’s plate. She nodded her head vigorously.
“Yeah. Yeah, of course. I’ll print copies off after school for you guys.”
“Excellent.” Enzo snatched another fry. “I’ll be right back.”
I watched him get up and go, leaving me with Jamie and Ethan. “Where’s he going?”
“To get you something to eat.” Ethan gave me a quick smile. I nodded. If nothing else, they all wanted to make sure I ate.
“So... Jamie, are you trying out for the musical?” Ethan’s hand was still on mine. Jamie’s eyes shot down to it quickly before she glanced at me.
“Uh, no. That’s not really my thing. I might do some backstage stuff and grab the photos for the yearbook, though.”
Ethan nodded. “Cool. I like photography.”
I listened as Ethan engaged Jamie in conversation about her camera equipment. She visi-bly relaxed as the conversation moved to which lenses were best to use.
Knowing nothing about photography, I tuned them out, opting to look over at the crew table again. Cole was in a deep conversation with Fox. They looked mad about something. Cole’s face reddened as he said something to Fox which ended with Fox snarling something back at him. A moment later, as if sensing me, they both peered in my direction. It wasn’t a pleasant gaze that met me either. Instead, Cole got to his feet, shoving his tray at Fox and grabbing the notebook, before stalking away. Something was wrong. I glanced at Fox to find him still staring at me. Not sure what to do, I turned back to Ethan and Jamie, who were going on about which was better: digital or film.
“Both have their uses. I just like the old school feel to developing the film,” Ethan said, squeezing my hand again. “In fact, I’d love if Rosalie would sit for me one of these days.”
“Huh?”
He smiled. “I was saying I want to take photos of you. What do you think? Will you let me take your picture?”
Jamie sat back in her seat, curiosity on her face. I cleared my throat and let the wobbly smile spill onto my lips.
“The only answer I can give is yes.”
Ethan let out a soft laugh and leaned in and spoke in a low voice only for my ears.
“You can choose to say no as well. I won’t be upset. I’m not the others with their ridicu-lous notions. I want you to choose.”
“You do?”
He nodded, a serious look on his face.
“They do too, but they won’t admit it.”
I rolled my eyes at that. “Yeah, right.”
“Trust me. They do.”
We didn’t get to finish the conversation because Enzo showed up with a tray of food and sat down next to us again.
“What’d I miss?”
“Only the most confusing situation I’ve ever been in.” Jamie shook her head.
I gave her the same brittle smile I’d been giving her for the past week.
Confusing didn’t even begin to cut it.
Sixteen
“OK. What songs have you picked out for your audition?” Enzo sank down onto the worn velvet upholstered chair in his finished basement.
I appraised the area, taking in all the stuff that decorated the place. Enzo’s house was large, not quite like Cole’s, but more like an actually lived-in space. His mom had even whipped up a dozen of chocolate chip cookies for us and brought them down before letting us know she had to run some errands.
“Earth to Rosalie,” Enzo called out.
I snapped my attention from the bar and pool table and focused on him. He’d grabbed one of the guitars from its spot and had it propped up on his lap like he was going to play.
“Uh, I haven’t picked one.”
“Sunshine, you have what? Only a few weeks left to learn and get ready for this? What the hell have you been doing? Don’t tell me it’s been partying because I’d have seen you out and about.”
I bit my bottom lip, not wanting to tell him I’d written a song for the audition but had gotten stuck on putting together the music for it. My focus had wandered in the past few weeks.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” I crinkled my brows at him, releasing my lip.
“It drives me wild when you pull that lip between your teeth. It’s hot as fuck.”
Heat flooded my face at his words.
“Don’t do that either.” He chuckled, placing his guitar in its stand and getting to his feet. “That sweet
, innocent look is even worse. It’s what got you into trouble in the first place.”
He moved to sit on the leather couch and patted his leg. “Come here.”
I climbed to my feet and approached him nervously. I’d never been alone with Enzo be-fore. Like the others, his reputation preceeded him. The memory of his crotch in my face in the locker room flooded my mind. While I hadn’t gotten to actually see it, the thought he most definitely lived up to his Italian Stallion nickname jumped out at me.
Ethan was probably the only one without womanizer etched into his forehead.
“Sit on my lap.”
I sat on his thighs, feeling completely awkward, butterflies hammering in my tummy. His warm hand rested on my lower back.
“Don’t be scared,” he murmured, rubbing my thigh with his other hand. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
I swallowed, nodding.
“Talk to me. What do you want to do for your audition? I can play pretty much anything. My parents are big music buffs, so I’ve learned a thing or two.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?” He frowned at me, stopping the rubbing of my jean-clad thigh.
“Acting like you care.” I stared at him, trying to gauge what he was thinking. He had a hell of a poker face though.
“Who says I’m acting? Is this your way of telling me I should try out for the play too?” His dark eyes twinkled with humor. I relaxed slightly.
“I just don’t get what’s happening. You guys acted like you were going to be so rotten to me.”
“Have any of us been bad?”
I shrugged. “No. Not really. I mean, Cole is pretty dark, and Fox is an asshole, but you and Ethan have been tolerable.”
Enzo chuckled as he went back to rubbing my thigh.
“Here’s the thing, Sunshine. Fox is angry by nature. Cole is a fucking weirdo. Me and Ethan? We’re the easy-going ones. But we’re all best friends and balance one another out.”
“Are you saying I shouldn’t be afraid?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I’m saying you can trust us to act accordingly.”
“That doesn’t seem like a good thing.”
“Trust me, baby girl. It definitely is.” He moved his hand from my thigh and pulled me closer to him. “I want to taste you.”
I let out a soft whimper, our faces inches apart.
I didn’t expected his next move. His lips met mine in a deep kiss, pushing through my barriers before I had time to recognize what was happening. I didn’t kiss him back, confusion flooding through me.
“Kiss me, Sunshine,” he whispered, kissing the corner of my lips. He shifted me on his lap, his growing erection apparent in his jeans. I swallowed hard, my breathing shaky as his grip on my thigh tightened.
“I don’t know what’s happening—”
“Anything you want. Just let go, and you can have it all.”
“Are you recording me?”
He chuckled softly, placing another kiss on the edge of my lips. “If I am, it’s for my eyes only.”
A thrill of excitement raced through my body.
“I’m not like the others. I’ll flat out tell you I want to be buried inside you.”
“Jesus,” I rasped as his lips moved to my neck.
“It’s god, baby. Don’t forget it.”
Seventeen
“Am I interrupting?” Cole’s irritated voice huffed out as he entered the basement. Enzo’s warm lips left my skin, leaving me feeling a lot more than hot and bothered. Hate was what I should’ve been practicing with the guys, but instead, I was all but panting to kiss Enzo back. I licked my lips, still tasting him on me. Enzo gave me a knowing smile, not looking the slightest bit perturbed at Cole barging in.
“You are,” Enzo returned. “But I don’t mind sharing.”
My stomach twisted into a knot of excitement. Something was seriously wrong with my head. I wasn’t this person. Or at least I hadn’t been until they’d paid attention to me.
Cole cocked his head at us before moving to sit beside us on the couch. My heart thudded unevenly when he wrapped his arms around my midsection and tugged me onto his lap.
“Sharing, huh?” His blue eyes darkened as he drank me in. “What do you think, Rosebud? Feel like having some fun?”
I caught Enzo’s look, not sure if this was a joke. Everything on his face assured me it wasn’t.
“I-I’m not, I mean, I-I’ve never—”
“What?” Cole murmured, brushing his nose against my jaw and breathing in. “Been thor-oughly fucked by two guys?”
I trembled on his lap, my heart nearly in my throat at his words.
“I’ve had a really bad day, Rosebud. Fucking you might make getting out of bed worth it.”
I swallowed down my whimper as I squeezed my thighs together. What the hell was hap-pening to me?
I hated them. I wanted them. I needed them. The emotions were conflicting, all of them leading to the same damn place I was trying to stay clear of: Giving in.
“It’s OK to want, Sunshine. Our secret.”
“You fuck boys need to knock it off,” Fox growled, coming into the room with Ethan in tow.
I nearly jumped off Cole’s lap, but he was quick to tighten his hold, keeping me in place.
“Aw, what’s wrong, Fox? Bad day too?” Cole asked.
Enzo snickered beside him. Neither seemed bothered by the intrusion. Me? My face had to be flaming red. I was sure of it.
“Rosalie was just about to make mine better. I’m sure she’d help you out too if you asked nicely—”
“Fuck off,” Fox snapped, flopping down into the green chair Enzo had vacated earlier.
Ethan sank down onto the matching leather sofa, offering me his kind smile. I ducked my head, trying to hide my embarrassment at what had nearly happened.
Not happened. I’d never...
I shut the argument up in my head, knowing damn well which side was going to win despite everything going on.
“Rosalie, get off Cole’s lap and go sit next to Ethan.” Fox glared at me.
I made to move, but Cole held me in place.
“What the hell is your problem?”
“Do I really need to tell you?”
Enzo laughed as Cole and Fox stared one another down.
“Fox, man. You know how to fix it. So why don’t you—”
“Rosalie, I’m not fucking kidding. Move.” Fox silenced Cole with a glare. Cole released me, sighing as he rubbed his face in apparent frustration. Ethan slid over for me.
“I can actually leave.” I cleared my throat as I sat on the edge of the sofa, my hands clasped as I stared at Fox. Being the apparent leader of the group, I knew it was him I needed to address. “I have some streaming to catch up on—”
“You’re staying,” Fox grunted.
I sighed and sat all the way back in my seat, knowing better than to argue with the grouch. Ethan got to his feet, went to the fridge, pulled out sodas, and handed them off to everyone before joining me back on the couch.
“What’s the plan for Friday night?” Enzo asked, cracking open his drink. “Party at Cole’s after the game or we waiting until Saturday night?”
“I was thinking we’d hit up Rocky’s and hang out. Been a minute since we’ve been there.” Cole sat forward and placed his drink on the coffee table. “We can hit my place after. My parents are gone to some conference in San Diego for the weekend.”
“Nice.” Fox nodded.
“You bringing Juliet?” It was Ethan who spoke up. I looked to Fox interestedly.
“I’m sure she’ll show up. You know how she is.”
“You guys still fighting?” Enzo asked.
“Yeah.” Fox shifted in his seat, avoiding my eyes.
So there was trouble in paradise. I couldn’t imagine a relationship with Juliet being easy, considering she was a grade-A bitch. The only reason I could figure Fox kept doing it was because of social status. He was the star quarterback. S
he was the cheer captain. That was just how high school politics worked. Of course, not even that would’ve kept me shackled to the bitch. I’d have chewed my own leg off to escape her claws.
“Did you tell her Rosalie is going to be a permanent fixture in our lives?” Cole took a drink and raised an eyebrow at Fox.
“Yeah. She didn’t like it, which only fueled her fire for argument. She’s still pissed over me letting Rosalie stay at our table at lunch.”
“You know,” I spoke up, clearing my throat. “All of this can be fixed by you deleting the video and letting me go. I’ll be happy to stay out of your lives.”
“Aw, Sunshine, don’t be that way. We’re only getting warmed up with you. No need to leave us high and dry.” Enzo shook his head at me.
“You’re not getting off that easily,” Fox grumbled.
“I don’t think she’s easy to get off, dude. I think I should get to see how long it takes. For science.” Enzo laughed, winking at me.
My face heated at his crude words, yet there was a tingle in my core, recalling how only a few minutes prior I’d ached for him and Cole.
“You know the rules,” Fox snapped, the nearly-there calmness he’d had leaving again.
“Right. No one touches her until you—”
Cole was silenced by a pillow Fox chucked at him, nailing him in the face. He was quick to throw it back before getting to his feet.
I let out a gasp as he tugged me up and planted his mouth on mine. I tensed, but Cole grasped me tight, demanding I let go. Unable to fight it—or not wanting to—I let go and parted my lips for him. He dipped his tongue in, sampling me, before releasing me and looking over his shoulder at Fox, a smirk on his lips as Fox glowered back.
“You’re really missing out. I’m not going to let a bit of her go to waste though. If you were smart, you wouldn’t either.” Cole pushed me back down into my seat. My breath whooshed out of me as I landed.
Instead of seeing the glare on Fox’s face I expected, there was hunger as he stared back at me. Or at least I thought it was. He was quick to reel it in, the scowl replacing it.
“Whatever. I’m not into dumpster diving.”